Help Needed Playing a Fast SMAC Game (2-3 hours)

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Author Topic:   Help Needed Playing a Fast SMAC Game (2-3 hours)

Librarian posted 06-11-99 04:12 PM ET
Other than using automation and a small world with lots of water, any other suggestions for how to play a full game in one 2-3 hour sitting?
Thanks
Natguy posted 06-11-99 06:14 PM ET
Only build one base, don't defend it and taunt the most owerful factions. That game'll be over REAL quick.
Seriousy, though, I don't really know of any way unless you do a quick quick kill,but I hate those things.
Natguy posted 06-11-99 06:14 PM ET
Only build one base, don't defend it and taunt the most owerful factions. That game'll be over REAL quick.
Seriousy, though, I don't really know of any way unless you do a quick quick kill,but I hate those things.
Ambro2000 posted 06-11-99 06:39 PM ET
Play Morgan on a small world with little water at Transcend, ironman, opponents more aggressive, blind research on and slow research rate. Attack the Hive, Spartans and Believers with all the force you have. Don't bother to defend your own cities. The game will be over in 10 turns
Seriously though: you should definitely play one of the conquering fractions (Hive, Spartans or Believers) and only research for better weaponry and then conquer the other factions as fast as you can or make them surrender. You should play with the �steal tech when conquering base� on.
Bingmann posted 06-11-99 08:21 PM ET
Play the game as a multiplayer game, but have yourself as the only human player. Then you can set the turn time limits to force yourself to play fast.
Rimmer posted 06-12-99 01:41 PM ET
Why are you playing with lots of water?
AJR B.S.C. S.S.C.
Spraying the glowing urine of knowledge into the mouths of the ignorant.
Darkstar posted 06-15-99 02:48 PM ET
Actually, I occassionally play a fast game of SMAC that only lasts between 2 to 4 hours. Tricks to doing so are simple... play a level or 3 down from what you normally play (important because of next tip) and... automate most of your military. They will explore on their own, patrol on their own, even invade and conquer on their own... but not smartly. If you find you NEED to take control, do so. But return the unit to Automated or Ordered State.
Allow several of your Terraformers to Auto-Improve and allow a few others to remove fungus automatically or build roads or whatever. Once again, the key is that you only take over when its critical.
I wouldn't suggest letting the bases Governors build whatever they want, but you can.
Remember, the trick here is that you are letting the computer do the scut work. Whether its merely a Goto, Patrol, or fully automated, you let it do that tedious stuff.
Now, I wouldn't advice doing that on Transcend, but if you want a fast game, that will do the trick.
-Darkstar
Darkstar posted 06-15-99 02:49 PM ET
By the way... I use the same world set-ups that I normally play a long, serious game on. So you don't have to go to tiny all water or tiny all land. Unless you want to, of course...
-Darkstar
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Author	Topic: Help Needed Playing a Fast SMAC Game (2-3 hours)
Librarian	posted 06-11-99 04:12 PM ET Other than using automation and a small world with lots of water, any other suggestions for how to play a full game in one 2-3 hour sitting? Thanks
Natguy	posted 06-11-99 06:14 PM ET Only build one base, don't defend it and taunt the most owerful factions. That game'll be over REAL quick. Seriousy, though, I don't really know of any way unless you do a quick quick kill,but I hate those things.
Natguy	posted 06-11-99 06:14 PM ET Only build one base, don't defend it and taunt the most owerful factions. That game'll be over REAL quick. Seriousy, though, I don't really know of any way unless you do a quick quick kill,but I hate those things.
Ambro2000	posted 06-11-99 06:39 PM ET Play Morgan on a small world with little water at Transcend, ironman, opponents more aggressive, blind research on and slow research rate. Attack the Hive, Spartans and Believers with all the force you have. Don't bother to defend your own cities. The game will be over in 10 turns Seriously though: you should definitely play one of the conquering fractions (Hive, Spartans or Believers) and only research for better weaponry and then conquer the other factions as fast as you can or make them surrender. You should play with the �steal tech when conquering base� on.
Bingmann	posted 06-11-99 08:21 PM ET Play the game as a multiplayer game, but have yourself as the only human player. Then you can set the turn time limits to force yourself to play fast.
Rimmer	posted 06-12-99 01:41 PM ET Why are you playing with lots of water? AJR B.S.C. S.S.C. Spraying the glowing urine of knowledge into the mouths of the ignorant.
Darkstar	posted 06-15-99 02:48 PM ET Actually, I occassionally play a fast game of SMAC that only lasts between 2 to 4 hours. Tricks to doing so are simple... play a level or 3 down from what you normally play (important because of next tip) and... automate most of your military. They will explore on their own, patrol on their own, even invade and conquer on their own... but not smartly. If you find you NEED to take control, do so. But return the unit to Automated or Ordered State. Allow several of your Terraformers to Auto-Improve and allow a few others to remove fungus automatically or build roads or whatever. Once again, the key is that you only take over when its critical. I wouldn't suggest letting the bases Governors build whatever they want, but you can. Remember, the trick here is that you are letting the computer do the scut work. Whether its merely a Goto, Patrol, or fully automated, you let it do that tedious stuff. Now, I wouldn't advice doing that on Transcend, but if you want a fast game, that will do the trick. -Darkstar
Darkstar	posted 06-15-99 02:49 PM ET By the way... I use the same world set-ups that I normally play a long, serious game on. So you don't have to go to tiny all water or tiny all land. Unless you want to, of course... -Darkstar